Mare delivers a change of fortune for Currie
BOOKIES pin-up girl With A Promise deferred retirement and gave trainer Ben Currie a major turnaround in fortunes when she won the Listed Tails Stakes (1600m) at Doomben.
Just 40 minutes earlier, Currie’s smart sprinter Amanaat was declared a non-starter after being injured in the Listed Ascot Handicap.
With A Promise ($19) led all the way to beat Mr Epic ($26) by a half-neck with a long head to Pelethronius ($5.50).
With A Promise has a history of winning races at big prices, having scored at $101 and $25 in the last winter carnival.
Currie said owner Mick Crooks had wanted to retire With A Promise before the Tails Stakes.
“I begged him to give her one more go as I was sure she would handle the 1600m and the wet track would suit her,” Currie said. “We will have to rethink now that she has won.”
Jockey Bob El-Issa, who had minutes earlier been involved in a fiery hearing into whether Amanaat was a starter, produced a bold frontrunning ride on With A Promise.
“I told him to let her stride along and she did just that,” Currie said.
Meanwhile, trainer David Vandyke will keep promising Savwell to distance around 1600m after his win in the Benchmark 75 (1600m).
Savwell ($3.60) came from well back in the field to win and mark himself as a possible winter carnival horse.
“He has won five of his 10 starts now and I have always had a good opinion of him,” Vandyke said. “He will stay around the 1500m now and we will see if there is much for him in the next few months.”